2009 DETROIT AUTO SHOW PREVIEW:

Warren, Michigan— With a new chassis, a new body, and two new engines, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox crossover will go into production in the middle of 2009 with the fuel economy of a small sedan and the room and functionality of an SUV, "a Swiss Army Knife" in terms of versatility, according to Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper.

The new Equinox, which fits between the HHR and the Traverse, looks nothing at all like the outgoing model, with a new Malibu-style front end just like the larger eight-seater Traverse. Peper said the new crossover will have best-in-class rear legroom and interior room. Like all other Chevrolet trucks, it will be sold in LS, LT and LTZ versions in front- or all-wheel-drive models, competing against segment rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV 4 and Ford Escape.

More From Popular Mechanics

The Equinox has a much stiffer body than the outgoing model and features a one-piece body-side stamping, with more high-strength steel (HSLA) content in the body. To keep things quiet, Chevy has used acoustic laminated glass, triple door seals, and a design that incorporates the rocker panels as part of the doors, like the Ford Flex. That should make the ingress/egress easier and cleaner. The base of the windshield has been moved 3 in. farther forward for cleaner aerodynamics too. The new car rides on the same 112.5-in. wheelbase as the old model, but is an inch shorter and an inch wider, with a wider front track as well.

Underneath the new sheetmetal, the Equinox will have four-wheel independent suspension, larger brakes, optional all-wheel drive, and a range of 17-, 18- and 19-in. wheel and tire combinations. The four-cylinder model, which is expected to drive two-thirds of the demand, will use fuel-saving electric power steering.

The Equinox will be powered by a new 2.4-liter sequential direct-injection gasoline engine producing 182 hp at 6700 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Chevrolet says preliminary estimates show city fuel economy numbers of 21 mpg and highway fuel economy numbers of 30 mpg in the five-seater, 3700-pound-plus Equinox.

The optional engine in the Equinox is a smaller 3.0-liter version of GM's 3.6-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, this one producing 255 hp at 6500 rpm and 214 lb-ft of torque at 5600 rpm. With this engine, Chevrolet says, the Equinox is expected to get 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Both engines will be coupled to GM six-speed automatic transmissions. Chevrolet says the I-4 version, with an 18 gal fuel tank, will have a range of 564 miles, and the V6 version, with a larger 20.9-gal tank, will have a range of 522 miles.

Standard equipment for all Equinox models will include XM radio, OnStar, ABS, traction control, StabiliTrak ESP, an eight-way power-memory driver's seat, and a reclining and sliding 60/40 split-folding second seat with up to 8 in. of adjustment. Options will include navigation, remote starting, heated seats, an eight-speaker, 250-watt sound system, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phoning, a 40-gig hard drive for music storage, a twin-headrest DVD entertainment system, a power liftgate with a height limiter for low garages, a rear-facing camera and rear park assist. Pricing was not revealed at the pre–Detroit Auto Show press conference.—Jim McCraw